


Stoking the Embers

by shatteredcrystalwings



Category: Devilman
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-10 20:25:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12919611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shatteredcrystalwings/pseuds/shatteredcrystalwings
Summary: Even in a more peaceful world, worries linger.





	Stoking the Embers

Oil hissed in a pan behind Ryo as he scurried around his kitchen, checking on the roast in the oven that was nearing completion before returning to the salad he had been in the process of putting together. Halfway through cutting tomatoes, he felt the sensation of strong hands wrap around his waist, pulling his backwards into the larger figure of his boyfriend. “I would advise against that when I’m holding a knife,” he commented lightly, raising the mentioned weapon dangerously close to the head that now rested on his shoulder.

Akira hummed amusedly. “Dinner smells good.”

“Did you pick up that wine I asked for?” Ryo asked, setting down the knife and choosing to twist around, wrapping his arms around Akira’s neck and leaning back slightly so he could see him properly.

“I did!” Akira didn’t leave Ryo’s grip as he reached to the far end of the counter and pulled a bottle from the paper bag it had been hiding it. “Pinot noir, right?”

Ryo furrowed his brow, intentionally morphing his expression to look as hurt as he could muster. “No, it was supposed to be pinot grigio…”

A look of panic flashed across Akira’s face for a moment before he let out a breathy laugh instead, wriggling out of Ryo’s arms to get out two glasses. “Nice try, but I know you don’t like white wines.”

“I actually thought I had you for a second there,” Ryo laughed, turning back to the abandoned vegetables. “Wanna help me finish this up before you start getting drunk?”

“That’s rich coming from you,” he jibed but put down the wine glasses to give the stove his full attention nonetheless. “How did work go today?”

Ryo let out an exaggerated sigh, moving to the fridge to pull out salad dressing he had made a few days earlier. “Nothing but more of those fake ghost stories. I keep telling my editor we should be pushing harder for legitimate stuff but ‘people are gonna believe it anyway so why bother,’” he said in a mocking imitation of his coworker’s voice.

“I mean, it’s a paranormal tabloid. It’s not like you’re actually gonna find anything that isn’t just light reflecting off a camera lens weirdly.”

“I’ve been telling you for years, Akira: ghosts, demons, these fuckers are out there, you just need to know where to look.”

“And you don’t know where that is, evidently,” Akira laughed, but quickly followed with, “I’m sure you’ll find something eventually, love,” accompanied by a peck on Ryo’s cheek. “Maybe you can come in and investigate the garage sometime. We either have a ghost or a family of bats living in the ceiling.”

“Maybe I will. If nothing else, I get to see you sweaty and covered in grease.”

Akira snorted, pulling the roast from the oven and staring intently at the thermometer stabbed into it.  “I should really talk to the guys again about that sexy mechanic calendar idea.”

“Just make sure I get a copy,” Ryo said with a wink. “Are we good to go?” he asked in reference to the food.

“Loooks like it. Now, wine.”

“I’ll get the booze, you put the food on the table.”

“You just want to sneak an extra glass for yourself.”

“You know me too well.”

An hour later found them well fed and tipsy, having easily finished off the first bottle of wine and delved into a second that Miki had given them as a gift a few months earlier. Languid and giggly, they made their way across the small apartment and into the bedroom, clothes abandoned in favour of kisses and sweet touches.

Satisfied and content, Ryo ran his fingers through Akira’s curls as the other man rested his head on his chest, his breath tickling Ryo’s bare skin in time with the rises and falls. “You’re going to need a haircut soon,” Ryo said in a soft voice, twirling a few strands around his index finger.

“You know you like it longer,” Akira mumbled, not lifting his head.

Ryo smiled a crinkle eyed smile, giving the hair a slightly harder tug before removing his hand to reach on the nightstand where a pack of cigarettes sat. Pressing one between his lips, Akira stirred at the sound of the lighter flicking on. Ryo took a deep breath in and let the taste of the tobacco rest on his tongue, opening his eyes to see his boyfriend giving him a hard look.

Slowly, he released the breath, intentionally angling it away from Akira. “What?”

“I thought you said you were gonna quit.”

Ryo sighed, moving his hand so the cigarette rested over his ashtray and looking at it instead of the man lounged over him. “I’ve told you it’s not that easy.”

“And I’ve told you I don’t want to lose you before I have to.”

Turning back to look at him, Ryo tilted his head to the side and gave him a pensive look. “...That’s not something either of us can control, Akira. For all we know, it could be me who loses you.”

Akira stared hard at him for a few moments, Ryo practically able to see the gears working in his head, before he reached over and took the cigarette. Holding Ryo’s gaze, he raised it to his lips and took a deep drag only to sputter slightly.

“What are you doing, you idiot?” Ryo asked, no poison in his voice as he took the cigarette back, setting it down and pulling Akira further up so that the were nose to nose.

Akira pressed a hard kiss to his lips, and soon they found themselves deepening it in an apparent continuation of their earlier activities, only this time, Ryo could taste smoke on Akira’s tongue. When Akira pulled away to catch his breath, his eyes were full of a different kind of passion. In answer to Ryo’s earlier question, he said lowly, “I’m evening the odds.”

Ryo felt a his heart clench, and he pulled Akira back into their kiss, wishing to erase that pained look hidden behind his eyes.

In the heat of their intimacy, the forgotten cigarette smoldered down to a stub.

**Author's Note:**

> FINALLY managed to come up with a prompt for this series, I've been wanting to write something for it for months! I was going to go with a much more angsty ending, but I feel like the more bittersweet tone ended up fitting better.


End file.
